Film-guard for the film-winding mechanism for moving-picture machines.



G. J. CARROLL & J. MERKEL. FILM GUARD FOR THE FILM WINDING MECHANISM FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 23, 1912. RENEWED JAN. 5, 1915.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

1 VII II I IIIIIIIFIIIIII THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON. L)v c GEORGE J. CARROLL AND JACOB MERKEL, 0F TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FILM-GUARD FOR THE FILM-WINDING MECHANISM FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed October 23, 1912, Serial No. 727,450. Renewed January 5, 1915. Serial No. 688.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE J. CARROLL and JACOB MERKEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Tamaqua, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Film-Guards for the Film-Winding Mechanism for Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to film winding mechanisms for moving picture machines and has for an object to provide a film guard for protecting the film from fire when the same is unwound from the winding mechanism of the machine.

The invention embodies, among other features, a film guard that is particularly adapted for use in connection with our a plication for patent entitled A film winding mechanism for moving picture machines, filed March 2, 1912, Serial Number 681,031.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the specification and drawings of the above entitled application for patent andto the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of the present specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper magazine of the device identified in the above mentioned application for patent, showing our film guard mounted in operative position thereon, the film guard being shown in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in another position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the film guard, the same having been removed from the upper magazine of the structure disclosed in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the film guard; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the film guard; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 in the above identified application for patent, it will be seen that film guiding rollers are journaled in an opening in the bottom of the magazine, as described on page 8 of the specification of the above entitled application for patent.

In the use of the device that is to be described herein the rollers are removed from the opening in the bottom of the magazine and the upper end of a casing 10 constituting a part of my film guard is movably mounted in the said opening, the sides of the said casing 10 at the upper ends thereof being bulged outwardly and being arranged to converge toward the lower ends thereof and form a chamber 11, the said sides at the extreme lower ends thereof being then bulged outwardly to form a chamber 12 constituting a continuation of the chamber 11, the sides of the casing being bent inwardly between the chamber 11 and chamber 12 to form a restricted passage 13, as shown.

A. supporting member 14 consisting of a rectangular frame 15 and integral semicircular plates 16 is provided to support the casing 10 in the opening in the bottom of the magazine, the said frame 15 being rigidly secured to the bottom of the magazine by means of suitable screws or the like so tha the upper extremity of the casing 10 will project through the opening as shown, suitable screws 17 being passed through the plates 16 and walls of the casing 10 to swingingly mount and support the casing 10 on the supporting member lei. It will now be seen that the film in the upper magazine of the winding mechanism, after being passed over a series of rollers, can be easily passed downwardly through the hopper 10 so that the film will pass through the chambers 11 and 12, the upper ends of the sides of the casing 10 being flared to form guide members 18 which will permit of readily passing the film through the casing.

A plurality of horizontally extending shafts 19 are journaled in elongated openings 20 in the walls of the hopper 10 at the lower end thereof, the said shafts being passed through the chamber 12 and extending longitudinally thereto and in a horizontal plane, suitable rollers 21 being journaled on the said shafts and preferably held in rolling contact by contractile helical springs 22 connected to the ends of the shafts 19, exteriorly of the chamber 12, as shown, it being readily understood that the film after being passed through the chamber 12 of the casing 10 is passed through the chamber 12 between the rollers 21.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings of this specification, it will be seen that the film after being passed through the casing extends downwardly at substantially an oblique angle to a horizontal plane and in order to compensate for the deflection of the film at the mentioned angle after the same is passed through the casing, the casing 10 is mounted to swing on the supporting member 14 in the manner mentioned heretofore, it being readily seen that the casing can also be swung at an oblique angle to a horizontal plane and secured in the adjusted position mentioned by tightening up the screws 17 which pass through the plates 16 and through walls of the easing 10. By mounting the hopper 10 in the manner mentioned, upon, the supporting member 14, the hopper can be readily swung into difierent positions relatively to the floor or bottom of the upper magazine and easily secured in the desired adjusted position, thus providing a means whereby the direction of the film can be varied with respect to the position of the motion picture machine so that where, in one instance, it might be feasible to have the film extending vertically downward and into the machine, in other instances, it will be found more feasible to have the film extend obliquely into the machine, and the casing 10, by being adjustable as mentioned, permits of accomplishing this result. It should be particularly noted that by mounting the casing 10 in the manner mentioned, the opening in the upper magazine, into which the casing extends and through which the film passes, is at all times closed by the rounded top of the casing.

Immediately after the film has been passed through the casing and is arranged to extend downwardly and rearwardly at an angle thereto, the film passes into the usual moving picture machine so that by providing the casing described above, the film is barely exposed and that portion of the film which would be exposed if the casing were not provided is now completely inclosed and protected from fire or other serious injury.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supporting member pro= vided with an opening, of a casing adjust ably supported on the supporting member and having the upper end thereof passing through the said opening and extending upwardly beyond the supporting member, with a portion of the said casing bulged so that the said casing at all times closes the opening in the supporting member, and rollers carried in the lower end of the casing and adapted to have a film, extending through the casing, passed therebetween.

2. in combination with the upper magazine of a motion picture apparatus, a supporting member on the magazine and provided with an opening registering with an opening in the magazine, a casing mounted to swing 011 the supporting member and having a film in the magazine passing therethrough, a plurality of cars carried by the supporting member and between which the casing is adapted to lie, screws passing through the said ears and engaging the casing for securing the same in an adjusted position on the said supporting member, and means supported in the said casing for holding a film passed through the casing from contact with the side walls of the casing.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. CARROLL. JACOB MERKEL. Witnesses for Carroll:

VICTOR GREEN, SAMUEL R. BEARD. Witnesses for Mlerkel:

VICTOR GREEN, Laos S. QUIMBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

